I’ve been Shredding for 30 days, and I’m not talking about paper. Or cabbage.

I’ve officially been doing Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred workouts for thirty days. Of course, keep in mind I stuck to level one for twenty-ish days and am now basically alternating levels one and two after five consecutive days of level two, but the point is this thirty-day situation has been going on for thirty days. Seems like something to celebrate, doesn’t it?

I tried on the Rock & Republic jeans I bought over a year ago this morning. The fit when I bought them, but for the past year, I haven’t been able to pull them up all the way over my ginormous slightly larger than ideal thighs. It was a shame – I like them a lot, and when they fit me, a smaller, more svelte version of me, they looked really good. And this morning? When I tried them on? Not only did I get them on all the way, I was also able to zip and button them while standing (as opposed to while laying down on the floor, legs in the air, hoping gravity would work its magic). I still have some work to do, but this is major progress for me. It was a really good start to the morning.

Now, what does that have to do with the circuit training I’ve been doing with my good friend Jillian? Well. Let me tell you. This Saturday at Safeway, I bought (among other things) a jar of almond butter and two packages of single-serving popcorn. As of Monday evening, the almond butter was gone. As of Tuesday evening, the popcorn was gone. So, Saturday through Tuesday went something like this:

Yet, still, my waist remains at 23″ (that’s how small it was before the Buenos Aires trip/July pastry bonanza of 2011). I’ve been “shredding” and walking 4-8 miles (usually 7) every day with limited exceptions. That’s all I do. It’s really not a lot, considering the Shred is only half an hour per level. Absolutely maintainable, and I know when I finally make it to level three, I’ll be in even better shape.

I love that I can occasionally get away with eating somewhat healthy food in larger than normal quantities and still maintain (and get smaller!). Or, you know, I could have pizza, same effect. I have no idea what I weigh now, but I’m wearing most of the clothing I was wearing at my smallest, which is what matters – plus, I have muscle tone and definition that I don’t think I’ve had at any point in my life, so that’s a major benefit. Of course, my T-Rex arms are still only using the 2.5-lb weights. But who cares? It seems to be working out just fine.

The system itself took awhile to grow on me, but once I realized that the hard work was starting to pay off (in the form of more defined arms/back/shoulders, at first), I started looking forward to getting home from work so I could exercise. It’s perfect for my lack of attention span for physical activity – ahem, some physical activity – and I know I’m working hard, even when the moves start to feel easier. I also didn’t like Jillian in the beginning, but she’s grown on me as well – I like how she seems to know when I’m getting tired and want to lay down on the couch instead of finish the circuit. How does she know? Can she see me? Creepy.

Anyway, the point of this post is to let all you fellow foodies know that 30-Day Shred is awesome (because when you do it, you can eat more food, and what foodie doesn’t love that?). In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s that circuit training in general is awesome, but this is easy and quick and I can do it at home so I can be gross and sweaty without witnesses. Fairly confident I wouldn’t willingly subject witnesses to that kind of traumatic experience.

Also, for the record, to serve as proof that I ate well this week aside from the popcorn and almond butter, I present to you Monday’s lunch:

2 responses to “I’ve been Shredding for 30 days, and I’m not talking about paper. Or cabbage.”

Hahaha, I love this! You literally had me laughing out loud on several occasions. Love the honesty. Oh and PS., you’re going to adore San Francisco! Plenty of fresh produce there as well 🙂 Keep up the writing- it’s comforting to know I’m not the only one who has those “EAT ALL THE FOOD” moments 😛

Thanks!! Glad I could entertain someone besides myself with my hilarity. 😛 San Francisco IS awesome – the food options are so much better (and more plentiful) than those in Seattle, I’m just afraid I’ll go broke “sampling” all the restaurant cuisine (no danger of gaining weight with all those hills, though!). Talk about an “eat all the food” moment… 🙂